Let Them Call us Crazy

“And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.” Romans 5:3 NKJV

In an almost unbelievable story titled “A 31-year-old marathon runner thought she had norovirus. She was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer” published by Business Insider yesterday, the writer relayed the story of Katelyn Jonozzo, who from a young age took pride in being active.

Up until she was 18, she practiced gymnastics 4 to 5 days a week. "I loved the discipline, I loved having a regimented schedule," Jonozzo, 31, told Business Insider. "That instilled how important health and fitness are to your lifestyle."

In her 20s, she gravitated toward marathon running. A supply chain analyst, Jonozzo would regularly wake up at 4 or 5 am to lift for two hours and run before going to work. In 2024, she qualified to run the Boston Marathon. She couldn't wait to run it in 2025.

That was before she felt a sudden, sharp stomach pain in February.

Jonozzo started experiencing flu-like symptoms and throwing up. She chalked it up to norovirus, which was going around at the time in her Cleveland suburb.
"My stomach started to get really, really bloated — I looked like I was almost pregnant," Jonozzo said. "But that was also a symptom of norovirus, so I kind of just lumped it into that."

When the pain got worse — stabbing sensations in her sides and nonstop vomiting — her two best friends urged her to go to the ER instead of waiting another day. Jonozzo complied, assuming the worst-case scenario was appendicitis

After an emergency surgery to remove part of her colon, she learned she had stage 3 colon cancer, with secondary cancer in her abdomen… Within the next 48 hours, she had an emergency colostomy that removed one-third of her colon and installed a colostomy bag. "I was just in so much shock and so much was going on that I didn't really know what was happening," she said.

Jonozzo went on to discuss the chemotherapy journey that followed and her bid to remain active. The biggest obstacle, she said, was the colostomy bag. "I was obviously super self-conscious about the bag in the beginning.” But as she started to connect with other young cancer patients through The Gathering Place support group and the Colorectal Cancer Alliance, she began to embrace the bag.

After seven months of treatment, Jonozzo was deemed cancer-free. She finished chemotherapy in August and had a colostomy reversal in November. In mid-December, her first screening since finishing treatment, she'll learn more about her future screening schedule, which she already knows will include two colonoscopies a year. She'll also be officially cleared to work out after her surgery — and is eager to go back to her old routine.

"I'm a little nervous just because normally I can just pop out and run and do those things, but I have to take baby steps back into it," she said. She plans to run three marathons in 2026, with the hopes of re-qualifying for Boston through one of them.

She's especially excited for the Cleveland Marathon in May. She'll run it as the team captain for her cancer fundraising group, which she said awakened new passions in her. "I love advocating, I love talking to people," she said. "I've always loved doing that — I just didn't have the confidence to do so before."

It's just one of the ways that her cancer experience changed her, she said, along with becoming more present.

"People think I'm crazy for saying this, but I truly believe it was one of the best things that ever happened to me," she said. "I would not trade this experience for anything. I really wouldn't."

Wow, right? The way Jonozzo chose to view her ‘experience’ or set of circumstances is completely contrary to the way the majority of the world views seemingly “bad” circumstances or experiences such as this. 

But this is the way every believer should regard the trials and tribulations of life. Although these times are hard, and more importantly because they are hard, they produce in us perseverance; and perseverance produces character, and character produces hope--which is a confident, steadfast expectation of future good, based on the promises and character of God that we experience in the present built on His trustworthiness we’ve experienced in the past. It is a deep-seated belief in God's faithfulness to fulfill His promises, providing a secure and certain faith even amidst suffering.

“Are they ministers of Christ?—I speak as a fool—I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness— besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches.” 2 Corinthians 11:23-28

Paul, the writer of Romans, knew the truth of this better than most anyone. He lived a life full of tribulations, that could be described as the type of stresses that severely test a person. These times led him to discover that each and every trial that he patiently endured and overcame by the power of Jesus Christ grew his endurance! That’s why Paul said he would boast in his sufferings! What the devil used to try and break him only made his faith stronger! Which, in turn, strengthened the faith of those around him and now strengthens our faith!! Talk about the power of viewing things through an eternal lens rather than a secular one!

Think about it this way. A runner must be stressed to gain endurance. Sailors must go to sea. Soldiers must go to battle. For the Christian, tribulation is just part of our Christian life. It’s the training ground by which we grow. Which means, we should not desire or hope for a tribulation-free (or stress-free) Christian life then because it wouldn't showcase the power of God working through our agony, uncertainty, and affliction. 

 
Spurgeon explains it this way “A Christian man should be willing to be tried; he should be pleased to let his religion be put to the test. ‘There,’ says he, ‘hammer away if you like.’ Do you want to be carried to heaven on a feather bed?”

For this reason, let us glory in our tribulations knowing that God has a purpose in them, whether or not we understand them. God will not only use them to make us more like Him, but will use them to draw other others to Him.

So, rather than asking God to remove your trials, ask Him to give you the strength to endure them my friend. Keep the joy in all circumstances and trust that when God is done, you will come out better for the trial and God will get the glory. And you can then rejoice when people call you crazy!

Heavenly Father, thank you for reminding us that although we don’t always understand your ways, your ways are always good. Throughout history, You have never failed to work a trial, test or tribulation for the good of those who love You and are called according to your purpose. When we are going through the fire Lord, help us to trust in You that we might keep our joy and inspire others to seek You by your peace that is displayed through us. Help us to be so different from the world by the way that we endure affliction that people take notice and call us crazy. It’s in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen.

 
Happy Running!